Gazpacho

Shira offers us her favorite summer recipe from our latest edition of Bloggers’ Bites.

Throughout the summer, my family consumes massive amounts of gazpacho. It’s healthy, cold, and refreshing. In short, it’s the perfect summer recipe. Best of all, it’s easy to make in bulk, so we store humungous plastic containers of it in the refrigerator and ladle it out into bowls for snacks, appetizers, or even meals (with a bit of a baguette and brie and maybe a salad as well). Here’s the recipe for my family’s version of gazpacho – this is for a fairly large batch, so you can half the recipe to make a more normal amount.

Gazpacho

Ingredients:
8 tomatoes
4-6 cloves of garlic (depending on how much you like garlic)
stale bread or croutons (optional)
2 bell peppers (any color works)
2 medium yellow onions
2 cucumbers or 1 European cucumber
1-3 jalapeno peppers (depending on how spicy you like it – we usually use one because my dad prefers not spicy)
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup Sherry vinegar
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Puree six tomatoes, garlic, and croutons/bread (if using) in a food processor or blender, working in batches if necessary.
2. Pour into a large plastic container or bowl.
3. Finely chop remaining tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, cucumbers, and jalapenos by hand or in a food processor. (The size of these pieces determines the texture of the soup.) If using a food processor, it will likely be necessary to work in batches – try to include some of each ingredient in every batch.
4. Stir this mixture into the tomato puree.
5. Mix in olive oil and Sherry vinegar.
6. Add more oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours – the colder you allow it to get, the more refreshing it is.

Enjoy the gazpacho! Avocado, corn, feta cheese, and croutons all act as delicious toppings.

–Shira Hendler